The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-01-05
WOES OF AN ANACONDA.
| How MIId-Mannered Snake Was Trans-
formed Into an Avenging Demon.

formed Into AN Avenging Demon.
Less than six months ago, says the
New York Sun, there lived on the
banks OF the Upper Amazon as respect
able and mild-mannered an anaconda
as ever dangled from q tropical tree.
He was a middle-aged snake, would
have stood twenty-six feet high on the
tip OF his tail If he had ever assumed
that posture, and Immediately after one
OF his monthly luncheons of monkey
would have been described had lie been
an alderman, as "having a presence
sort of lumpy stoutness. There was
nothing vicious about him and he asked
little of life. He wanted his monkey
regularly, with, perhaps, on gala days,
young Brazilian, though in the matter
OF natives he was temperate. BY Sc
ries of Infamous outrages this same an
aconda has been transformed from the
peaceful, useful citizen he once was, in
to an incarnation of all that is devilsh.
His one ambition now is to kill every
thing that is alive and within his reach.
His naturally mild nature has been
turned to gall and NORWOOD, and he
hates the world and all that live there
III.
Irresistibly the furious anaconda was
one day dragged TO q hideous trap of
bamboo, into which he was thrust
writing and reaching in vain for the
waists of his tormentors. Then, heavy
canvas was wrapped about him, and
the canvas was wound around with fold
after fold Of cord. And in this humil-
iating condition, a mere bundle, in fact,
one of the most respected members of
Upper Amazon snake society was slung
on pole and carried mile after mile
on the shoulders of jogging natives,
whose ribs he could have crushed in a
single twist.
There the bundle was put in box,
over the top of which heavy stats were
nailed, and then, and only then, the
cowardiy captors reached through and
cut the cords and the canvas and trans
formed the package into prisoner.
As such prisoner he was conveyed
across the ocean TO the city of New
York, and then and there transferred
for valuable consideration to one
Daniel Burns of 10 Roosevelt street,
to be his individual property. In his
haste to leave, one evening, Mr.. Burns
did not observe the fatal fact that the
cover to the box containing the stranger
from Brazil was loose
The time for the anaconda had come.
There was faint sound from the loose
board on the top of the box. Then all
was still for time. The sound was
heard again, and slowly the board
| lifted from its place. Then appeared
a horrible white snout with distended
nostrils, then came a mottled. wedge
Il, oh Il
devilish eyes reflected the Light from
the street gas lamps which streamed
in at the window. Slowly, silently,
fold after fold of the monster poured
out on the floor. The loose board of
the box fell back and the anaconda was
loose, with murder III his heart.
He slipped noiselessly about for a
moment, raising his head high in the
air and glancing aboct TO see where he
should strike first. The bear cubs NUT
tered uneasily in their sleep, and the
big monkey, awake now, stood with all
its soul in its ears. Suddenly it uttered
fearful shrek. 1t had caught full
view in the gaslight of the head of its
deadly enemy weaving ominously to
and fro in the air. The monkeys fren-
zied shrek of fright reused the entire
household in an instant. The macaws
and paroquets yelled and stormed and
swore their most sulphurous Spanish
oaths, the bears growled and whined
and scrapped aimlessly in the air, the
canaries Huttered and chirped in their
terror, and above all rose the pitenus
screams for help from the monkeys.
The terrible scenes which occurred
during the dead hours of that awful
night will never be recorded. The
passers-by in the street in the early
morning knew that there was TRACE
dy and gathered curiously about on the
sidewalk, listening to the uproar.
| When Mr.. Burns came at last and
opened the door there in the middle of
the room, partly coiled up but with
head five feet in the air, was the ana
conda, now grown furious with hate and
with the uproar about him. Quick as
q flash, Mr.. Burns grabbed large
strip of canvas that fortunately was at
hand, and into this the fierce reptile
| lunged his head. Then there came q
furious struggle, Mr.. Burns cropping
for the anaconda's neck and the ana
conda vainly trying to get Mr.. Burns
into his deadly coil. But it was not
| long struggle. with a nrm grip on
the big snakes throat Mr.. Burns soon
had him subdued and fast secured in
his box.
Then he looked about at the havoc.
One of the cub bears lay crushed and
dead in q corner. In another corner
lay the remains of deceased arma-
dillo, and the monkeys were in such an
ague of fright that they are liable to
die from it before consumption gets
fair chance at them. The paroquets
and macaws were busy all day long
telling everybody who came in about
the horrible nights adventure, and
swearing frightful Spanish oaths as
they told it, and the poor canaries will
not get over their fright for month.
THERE is no wealth but life. Life,